As the number of color printers in common use has increased over the past decade, end users of such devices have become aware of the need to recalibrate these devices. Because of the nature of color reproduction, color printers are more subject to drift than are their black and white counterparts. One cause of such drift is deviation of the underlying components due to age or changes in the environment. For example, a typical color printing device is likely to vary due to changes in the underlying marking process in response to external conditions like temperature and humidity, and internal changes due to aging of the components. These variations from a known, standard state, can result in undesirable variation in the appearance of the output from such reprographic devices. Compounding this problem of drift is the sensitivity of human perception, which, for certain colors, emphasizes even minor shifts or differences in color.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0114164, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Calibration of a Color Printer,” and filed Jul. 21, 2003, describes a method permitting an end user to recalibrate a color reproduction device. The method includes printing a test target and scanning it with a scanner that forms a part of the color reproduction device. The device compares the desired values with the values obtained from scanning the printed test target to calibrates the processing of image data to compensate for differences between the desired values and the values obtained from scanning the printed test target. This application is incorporated by reference into the present application in its entirety for all purposes.